The present invention relates to total air temperature (TAT) probes or sensors. More particularly, the present invention relates to improving anti-icing performance and reducing deicing heater error (DHE) in TAT probes.
Modern jet powered aircraft require very accurate measurement of outside air temperature (OAT) for inputs to the air data computer, engine thrust management computer, and other airborne systems. For these aircraft types, their associated flight conditions, and the use of total air temperature probes in general, air temperature is better defined by the following four temperatures: (1) Static air temperature (SAT) or (Ts); (2) Total air temperature (TAT) or (Tt); (3) recovery temperature (Tr); and (4) measured temperature (Tm). Static air temperature (SAT) or (Ts) is the temperature of the undisturbed air through which the aircraft is about to fly. Total air temperature (TAT) or (Tt) is the maximum air temperature that can be attained by 100% conversion of the kinetic energy of the flight. The measurement of TAT is derived from the recovery temperature (Tr), which is the adiabatic value of local air temperature on each portion of the aircraft surface due to incomplete recovery of the kinetic energy. Recovery temperature (Tr) is in turn obtained from the measured temperature (Tm), which is the actual temperature as measured, and which differs from recovery temperature because of heat transfer effects due to imposed environments. For measuring the TAT, TAT probes are well known in the art.
Conventional TAT probes, although often remarkably efficient as a TAT sensor, sometimes face the difficulty of working in icing conditions. During flight in icing conditions, water droplets, and/or ice crystals, are ingested into the TAT probe where, under moderate to severe conditions, they can accrete around the opening of the internal sensing element. An ice ridge can grow and eventually break free—clogging the sensor temporarily and causing an error in the TAT reading. To address this problem, conventional TAT probes have incorporated an elbow, or bend, to inertially separate these particles from the airflow before they reach the sensing element.
Another phenomena which presents difficulties to some conventional TAT probe designs has to do with the problem of boundary layer separation, or “spillage”, at low mass flows. Flow separation creates two problems for the accurate measurement of TAT. The first has to do with turbulence and the creation of irrecoverable losses that reduce the measured value of TAT. The second is tied to the necessity of having to heat the probe in order to prevent ice formation during icing conditions. Anti-icing performance is facilitated by heater elements embedded in the housing walls. Unfortunately, external heating also heats the internal boundary layers of air which, if not properly controlled, provide an extraneous heat source in the measurement of TAT. This type of error, commonly referred to as DHE (Deicing Heater Error), is difficult to correct for. In conventional TAT probes, the inertial flow separation bend described above has vent, or bleed, holes distributed along its inner surface. The holes are vented to a pressure equal to roughly that of the static atmospheric pressure outside of the TAT probe. In this manner, a favorable pressure difference is created which removes a portion of the boundary layer through the bleed holes, and pins the remaining boundary layer against the elbow's inner wall.
In some TAT probes, an aspiration tube is included to lower the exit pressures at the back of the probe to help draw air through the probe during on the ground, “still-air” conditions. The purpose of the aspiration tube is to cool the sensing element that has been heated by solar radiation. Although this mechanism is effective for reducing solar radiation effects while the probe is on the ground, the aspiration tube can create problems with TAT probe operation during normal flight when air is flowing past (and through) the probe.
The discussion above is merely provided for general background information and is not intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.